A Fundamental Christian on Purpose

The Hal Lindsey Report makes some tremendous points this week, which is why I included it in it's entirety as my last blog post.  I hope you will take a few moments to read it. It's important stuff.

But I also found something within Mr. Lindsey's article that is equally relevant though only a subtext of his entire message. I wanted to single out this important point specifically. As I said, it isn't the main focus in his letter, but it is an important part. 

Coincidentally, I had also watched a video this morning of Rick Warren talking about "fundamental Christianity".  Now neither of these reports/messages (Lindsey's message and Warren's message) had anything to do with the other.  Warren's interview here, actually was clear back in 2008 at the release of his new book The Purpose Driven Life. Today's Hal Lindsey Report is mostly concerned with "false equivalence" and  how the media is trying to depict fundamental Christianity.

Agreeing with Mr. Lindsey that there is a concerted effort to destroy and devour fundamental Christian beliefs, I simply decided to post both opinions that I came across this morning.

Take a moment to read Hal's quote below; watch the video of the interview with Rick Warren. Then you decide.  I think you will find it interesting.

"Last week, a blogger on CNN's Belief Blog made a clumsy attempt to equate me with Muslim imams who stir up their followers to violent jihad. In so doing, he bought into the prevalent technique practiced by the global media and American politicians. It's called "False Equivalence."

That means claiming that two things are the same when they are actually very different. A "false equivalence" is nothing more than a cunningly crafted lie.

Here's the "false equivalence" that seems most common today. Pundits, politicians, and airhead celebrities keep saying -- or implying -- that fundamentalist Christianity is just like fundamentalist Islam. I suppose they reason -- though I think most are incapable of actually 'reasoning' -- that since both are called religions and both have adherents who practice the 'fundamentals' of their faith, then they must be 'equal.'

Can you see the false equivalence? Radical imams stir up their followers to do things like the Boston Marathon bombing. So the pundits and politicians try to imply that Christian ministers do the same kind of thing, that is, stir up their followers to wreak havoc. Of course, they can't find one, but that's not important to them.

Trying to imply that the two are equal is a lie. But it's a lie with a purpose. And the purpose is not necessarily to turn the masses toward Islam, but to turn them away from Christianity."

And the Rick Warren's thoughts on fundamental Christianity:

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/148506/january-28-2008/rick-warren

As for my "coincidence" this morning, I really appreciated Mr. Lindsey's choice of word "purpose" in his article.   ;-)  And I am proud to be a "fundamentalist Christian" ...on purpose.


*This is not an endorsement of the Stephen Colbert Show. Another note: You will have to stop the video as it will otherwise run in its entirety.